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UNIS/L/167
4 July 2012

UN Commission on International Trade Law adopts Recommendations to assist arbitral institutions

VIENNA, 4 July (UN Information Service) - On 2 July 2012, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted the UNCITRAL Recommendations to assist arbitral institutions and other interested bodies under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, as revised in 2010 (the "Recommendations") and emphasized the usefulness of the text.

The UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules were originally adopted in 1976. In 1982, UNCITRAL adopted Recommendations to assist arbitral institutions and other interested bodies with regard to arbitrations under the 1976 UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. Those Recommendations were designed to provide information and assistance to arbitral institutions and other relevant bodies in using the Arbitration Rules at a time when arbitration had not achieved the standing it has today. The Recommendations were very well received and furthered the use of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. These Rules, in the thirty years since the adoption of the Recommendations, have been used for the settlement of a broad range of disputes including commercial disputes administered by arbitral institutions. They have also strongly contributed to the development of arbitration activities of many arbitral institutions in all parts of the world.

The UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules were revised in 2010 to better conform to current practices in international trade law and to meet changes in arbitral practice over the last thirty years. They have been effective since 15 August 2010. After their adoption, it was felt there was a need to issue Recommendations on the revised Rules, similar to those of 1982, particularly in view of the extended role of the appointing authority. Consequently, the Commission entrusted the Secretariat with the preparation of such recommendations at the same session, in 2010, for its consideration at a future session. For the development of the Recommendations, the UNCITRAL Secretariat has consulted some 40 arbitral institutions and other bodies. The Recommendations provide assistance with respect to the different uses of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules by arbitral institutions and other interested bodies.

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The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. Its mandate is to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. It prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development. UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts. The UNCITRAL Secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria, and maintains a website at
www.uncitral.org.